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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ball — a great time
  5. race — a contest
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a dance
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — in music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — to be able to
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com